Keynote Speaker

Dr Kim Hames is currently the Deputy Premier of Western Australia, with responsibility over the portfolios of Health and Tourism. Dr Hames also has a special coordinating role for the Kimberley region.

This year will mark his 22nd as an elected member of Parliament, first being elected as the Member for Dianella (1993-96) and later Yokine (1996-01). He was elected as the Member for Dawesville in 2005, which is a seat he still holds.

Under the Court Government, Dr Hames was the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Housing and Water Resources. Prior to becoming a Member of Parliament, Kim was a councillor at the City of Bayswater for eight years.

Achievements in Government:

Dr Hames is well known for driving the introduction of swimming pools to remote communities of WA during his first term in Government between 1996 and 2001. The program resulted in a significant drop in chronic preventable diseases in young children in remote areas, and an increase in school attendance. The program is continuing to this day.

Since winning Government in 2008, Dr Hames has introduced a number of policy initiatives to improve health outcomes for West Australians and overseen a significant capital infrastructure program resulting in the opening of new hospitals and significant upgrades to regional health services.

In the Tourism arena, Dr Hames is working to ensure WA attracts and retains key events with appropriate funding and support. Other areas of interest include increasing the stock of hotel rooms in Perth and regional areas, and ensuring families have access to affordable, local holidays.